I'll Be
by Viscountess Hope
Summary: Two teens who have both lost greatly, come to an understanding.  And maybe more.  Affectionately called "Better Living Through Country Music" while writing.
1. When You Need Someone to Lean On

**Title:** I'll Be

**Author:** Viscountess Hope

**Summary: **Two teens who have both lost greatly, come to an understanding. And maybe more. Affectionately called "Better Living Through Country Music" while writing.

**Pairing:** Noah Puckerman/Kurt Hummel (Puckert or Purt, or I'm personally spearheading a campaign for Nurt because I think Noah deserves to have his first name used and Nurt sounds like something cute and squishy and lovable! I want my own pet Nurt. Random Dory Impression: I shall call them Nurt, and they will be mine, and they will be _my_ Nurt!)

**Rating:** T (For now anyway)

**Disclaimer:** None of this is mine, I make no profit. If it were mine, every guy at WMHS would fall to their knees to worship Kurt when he walked in every morning, and he would routinely be the filling in a Glee Guy Orgy Sandwich. You can't tell me _that_ isn't a hot thought!

**Author's Notes:** I'm an anal retentive, and I happen to find research fun. As such, the streets listed, the hospital, the park, and Reba McEntire's "I'll Be" coming out in the same time period as Kurt's mother dying is all absolutely factual. The idea of the Beadazzled shoes is partly Sketchers' fault because of those adorable rhinestone sneakers they have out for little girls now that they _so_ need to make for adults also. The rest of the credit for that one goes to Loony4moony816 and her story "Here Comes the Sun." Her stories are just so damned cute and kinda NSFW just because they make me giggle, and my job isn't all that amusing. This isn't beta-ed, just repeatedly proofread. Oh, and **BOLD=Noah singing **and _Italic=Kurt singing_. And of course _**Bold Italic=Both singing**_.

Now on with the story!

**When You Need Someone to Run To**

Puck was still at Lima Memorial Hospital, sitting on the curb outside the emergency room; hours after giving his little girl up for adoption and after the rest of the Glee club had left as well. Quinn had to stay overnight because there had apparently been more blood than there should have been and he wasn't sure what to do with himself. He'd resigned himself to giving little Beth up for adoption, but still… _I should really be happy, right? I don't need the responsibility at 16. I don't want to mess her up as much as I am,_ he thought as he watched as an ambulance came to a halt in front of the doors and paramedics jumped out of the back pulling a gurney out as well as several doctors and nurses rushed out of the hospital, everyone shouting information and orders over one another. It made him think of Rachel, Mercedes, and Hummel trying to agree on a set list for Regionals. But as soon as Mr. Gunshot Wound to the Lower Abdomen was wheeled into the emergency room, Noah Puckerman's thoughts returned to the little girl he had helped bring into the world and then turned his back on. Just like his dad.

"No, not like him. He _chose_ to walk away from Mom and me and Bekah. Quinn was determined and I couldn't go it on my own. I didn't have a choice," Puck muttered to himself as he scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed.

"There's always a choice Noah Puckerman. Those choices just aren't always between options you like," a light voice said from behind him.

Puck didn't look at the other boy; he just growled at him, "What are you doing here Hummel?"

Kurt stepped down off the curb and sat gingerly beside the broader boy before passing him one of the cups of Starbucks he had in his hands. "It's odd, isn't it?" the countertenor asked, ignoring Puck's own question.

"What is?" The jock was confused by the non sequitur.

"The world keeps going on; full of vibrant colors and a cacophony of noise even after your own world has ended. It doesn't seem right, does it? The world should come to a complete stop out of respect and take note of your loss."

Puck finally turned his head to look at the petite fashionista sitting beside him, "What the fuck are you going on about, Hummel?"

Kurt pinned hazel eyes with a cold gaze from his own blue green orbs and raised one eyebrow, "Really _Puckerman,_ is it such an difficult task for you to refer to a person by their first name?"

The half back just gave a halfhearted shrug and took at drink of the coffee, "At least I used your name and not any of the other things I could call you. Besides, I'm too badass for first names."

The smaller boy let out a noise that sounded like a cross between a huff of annoyance and a sarcastic laugh. "I suppose I _should_ be grateful you didn't opt to call me 'fag' or 'homo' and as for your being too 'badass' for first names, you always called Finn by his name."

"Dude, I've known Finn since I was, like, three. You know a guy through bed wetting and chicken pox; you kinda gotta call him by his name."

"Eurgh. Bed wetting… Let's file that under 'Information about Finn Hudson I Never Wanted to Know' and leave it at that," Kurt stated with an exaggerated shudder causing the other boy chuckle slightly.

The two fell into an oddly companionable silence, sipping coffee and watching people rushing into the emergency room while others came out at a much more sedated pace. "Hey Hum—Kurt, what were you talking about earlier?"

"When earlier Noah Puckerman?"

Puck turned his head to look at Kurt to find the other boy looking at him with one sarcastic eyebrow (and how the hell could he make an eyebrow _sarcastic_ anyway) raised, and although it made him want to hit the other boy, he clarified, "Few minutes ago. When you were talking about vibrating colors and the world taking notes."

Kurt couldn't help the slight laugh that escaped his lips, even if it resulted in an intimidating glare from the formerly mohawked teen. "Sorry, but it was vibrant colors, as in, bright colors. Vibrating colors led to an amusing, if bawdy, mental image." Puck just rolled his eyes and gestured with a vague 'get on with it' wave of his hand. The countertenor looked across the parking lot and sighed with a small frown. "Did you know my mother died here? I could actually show you the exact place she died."

"What the fuck does that have to—" Puck started in but stopped when he saw the icy glare turned on him that promised possible castration. Shit. He was _not_ going to be intimidated by the Fairy. He glanced into the blue-green eyes again. Or maybe he _was_ going to be intimidated by the Fairy.

"If you want the answer to your question, you are going to let me answer it _my_ way." Kurt said indignantly, glaring at his long time bully until he shrugged and nodded in sullen acquiescence. "I was six. I suppose most people know that with the speed at which the gossip mill functions in Lima. Most people don't know she was pregnant though, or maybe they just don't remember. Maybe they just don't care. She'd just found out she was having a girl the day before at her twenty week checkup. I remember how excited she and Dad were. I was excited too; especially after I found out it was a girl. I was going to have a little sister to love and play with and dress up in all the adorable clothes I wasn't allowed to wear myself because I was a _boy_." Only Kurt could managed to make being a guy and not being allowed to wear dresses sound like a fate worse than death, and Puck had to fight a snigger at the thought; he was actually kinda curious about the story the soprano was telling. The effeminate boy's countenance was so dreamy and far away as he spoke. "Mom had taken me to the park because I loved the swings. I loved for her to push me high into the air, and I'd try to touch the clouds with my toes. And the way my shoes would glitter against the sunlight."

Puck coughed, interrupting the story a second time, "Your shoes _glittered_, Dude?"

The icy glare was back and once again directed at the jock, "First of all, stop calling me 'Dude.' It's irritating. Secondly, yes, they glittered. My mother and I had Beadazzled them. It was a phase I went through, and we Beadazzled everything we could get our hands on. I thought Dad was going to have a coronary when he found his favorite ball cap with rhinestones all over it, but Mom just kissed him and told him it just made his eyes sparkle." Kurt was smiling softly as his mind went off on its tangent before Puck cleared his throat and jerked the smaller boy back to the present. "And third, _stop interrupting_!"

"Jeez, cool your shorts Princess."

The only answer was another annoyed huff, but he continued with the story anyway, turning his gaze away from the other boy once again. "It was getting late. Dad was going to be home from the garage soon and Mom and I were going to make his favorite meal, meatloaf with corn and mashed potatoes and orange Jell-O with mandarin oranges in it. She told me I could mix up the Jell-O if I was _really_ careful and that I could wear one of her aprons. I was so excited and was pulling her down the sidewalk. We had to cross the street, and I looked both ways, I really _did_," he suddenly sounded like he was six again. "But a truck swerved around the corner. He was going too fast. Mommy shoved me away. I was mad at first, but she'd shoved me out of the way of the truck. I'll never forget the sound of it hitting her. The squeal, the thump and then the shattering window. The windshield breaking sounded like our neighbor's wind chime, but then Mommy hit the ground, and she just laid there. She wasn't moving, I couldn't tell if she was breathing. I remember yelling 'Mommy' over and over again. I tried to run to her, but a man grabbed me. So I kicked him in the kneecaps. That's what Mommy and Dad always taught me to do if a stranger grabbed me."

Puck stared in fascinated horror as Kurt relayed his story. He knew Hummel's mother was dead. He vaguely remembered being in third grade and his mom talking on the phone to his Aunt Lilith. _"Did you hear Lil? Iris Hummel was killed yesterday!... No, not that Iris. Iris Watters!... She married that backwater Hummel guy who owns the garages…Yes. Her… She was walking up Shawnee, crossing Market with her little boy, and some drunk guy came speed around the corner from Perry. He never even stopped. Apparently Iris just had time to push the boy out of the way before she was hit. She died at the hospital last night."_ The football player frowned. He couldn't remember his mom saying anything else about the accident, or the other woman dying, and he knew she'd never said anything more about "the boy." Nothing about a baby either. Weird, but he'd been young, so maybe he just didn't remember... But then again, it wouldn't have been that long after his father had decided to embezzle from his company and run off to Brazil with his secretary, leaving Esther Puckerman with a six year old and a toddler. His mom had bigger issues to deal with at the time than some woman she'd known from like high school or something who died. Puck mentally shrugged as his mind refocused on the breathy voice beside him.

He turned his head and frowned when he saw that Kurt was staring blankly out across the Emergency Room parking lot, tears falling from his eyes and his voice a huskier, more childish version of itself. It was downright creepy. Kinda like that marionette thing in _Saw_. The mouth was moving, but there was no emotion, no expression. And for _Kurt_, Mr. Diva-in-Designer-Clothes,to be acting like that? It was kinda scary. "It was Trauma Room 5. T-5. White letters on a slate blue plaque with Braille underneath. Everyone was running around, the beeping and the yelling hurt my ears because I was just getting over an ear infection. Dad came, but he didn't say anything to me, just ran into the room where Mom was. And then there was a long beep. And Dad was yelling 'NO' over and over again. Suddenly, it was like someone had stuffed a whole bag of cotton balls in my ears; I couldn't hear anything except for roaring blood and my own pounding heartbeat. I knew she was gone. I was only six, and not only was my Mommy dead, but my little sister, Little Baby Bethy, was gone too."

Puck choked on the sip of coffee he'd just taken, "Bethy?" _Why the hell does it have to be Beth?_

Kurt looked at Puck with confusion, but slowly an expression of dawning realization spread across his face, "Oh! Oh my… I'm sorry, Noah. I hadn't realized… But yes, her name was going to be Bethany Angeline." He fell silent until he heard Puck shift, rearranging his limbs so his legs were straight in front of him. The action reminded him of what he'd set out to do with this whole conversation, so he took a breath and resumed his story. "I ran out of the hospital, and I still can't figure out how and why no one noticed an unsupervised six year old running out of the hospital. But I ran through the automatic doors and stopped at the curb. I was panting like I'd just sprinted an entire marathon instead of maybe 100 yards. That was when all the noise and lights and _life_ just hit me in the face. Life was moving on without a care. The world didn't care that I'd just lost my mother and baby sister and it made me angry. I wanted to stomp my foot and scream for everything to stop and pay attention. They all needed to stop right where they were and be silent and realize that the most wonderful woman in the world had passed away, and darn it! They needed to pay homage to her!" His nostrils flared as he breathed in and out, his chest heaving with the gasping breaths.

"Okay, so whatever that was you said before kinda makes sense now. But what the hell does that have to do with me and my situation?"

The countertenor just sighed, "Look, you suffered a loss tonight. I know you didn't have anyone die, which makes things easier for you, maybe, but it's still difficult. I just wanted you to know…" Kurt was thankful for the darkness that kept his reddening cheeks from being seen, "Damn it! I just wanted to let you know that… that I can understand. And if you need someone to listen, I will. You had to give up your little girl tonight. And while I'm sure her adoptive parents will maybe send you pictures as she grows up, you've literally lost a piece of yourself, and if that doesn't affect you and break your heart, then you are even more heartless than I always thought."

"_I guess the world ain't gonna stop…for my broken heart…"_ Puck sang quietly but looked at the other boy defensively when he saw the incredulously arched eyebrow. "What?" he growled.

Kurt's other eyebrow rose to join the first. "Nothing. I just never figured you to be a country fan."

This time, Kurt was on the receiving end of the 'One Eyebrow Treatment,' "I sang _Neil Diamond_, and not just because he's Jewish. Reba McEntire and Alabama aren't that far off from there. Plus, my mom loves country. Country, Neil Diamond, and Elvis. I swear Mom bawls her eyes out every damned time she hears Elvis sing 'In the Ghetto.' And she's got it on vinyl, so she hears it a _lot_. And Becky is nuts for Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts. If I have to listen to her bouncing around singing 'You Belong With Me' or 'Love Story' or even 'Summer Nights' at the tops of her lungs one more time, I'm going to hurl… on her iPod so she can't listen to it anymore."

That made the smaller boy giggle, "And only an older brother who adores his little sister but refuses to admit it for fear of losing his 'macho' persona would threaten the iPod but be able to name the artists and songs that she sings." The jock just glares and grumbles something under his breath. "Look on the bright side Noah. At least it isn't Justin Bieber and the Jonas Brothers."

"Yeah, yeah," Puck mutters as he shoves Kurt's shoulder lightly with his own. He doesn't know how they came to be sitting so close to one another, but really, it doesn't matter. Glee and his brilliant idea of 'I'm going to date Mercedes to regain my popularity' had forced him to get to know the effeminate boy better than dumpster dives and slushie facials allowed. He really wasn't such a bad guy as long as his sharp tongue wasn't directed at Puck. "Wait a minute. You know why I know some country songs, now why do _you_? One line normally isn't enough to recognize the song."

Kurt blushes and shrugs nonchalantly, "My mom. She was a big fan. Johnny Cash, The Judds, George Strait, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Dolly Parton. She had all sorts of records. I used to love looking through them. The country artists, Chicago, soundtracks for _Jesus Christ Superstar_ and _Grease_. That Culture Club album that Mom swore she had no idea where it came from though I caught her singing along to 'Karma Chameleon' while she folded laundry. But Reba was always her favorite. I still listen to her music because it makes me feel closer to Mom. She and I used to sing 'I'll Be' together all the time just before she died." The small boy shrugged, "Plus, the woman was on Broadway! She completely _owned_ the part of Annie Oakley in _Annie Get Your Gun_. She's definitely the diva of country music." He took a sip of his coffee and grimaced in distaste at the now cold beverage and dumped the remainder in the gutter before crumpling the cup into an oddly shaped ball. There was a trashcan by the automatic door, probably fifteen feet away and the countertenor pursed his lips as he arched the little ball toward it, smirking to himself when it dropped neatly into the can.

"Duuuude!" Puck strung out the work into about five syllables and just smiled when the other boy glared at him. "I'm not calling you 'Dude.' It's more of a… less girly way of saying 'Ohmigod!'" the jock told the other boy, doing a passable impression of Britney's vacant yet chirpy voice, the response was a giggle. "But seriously man! I couldn't make that shot, Finn couldn't make that shot. Hell, _no one_ on the basketball team could do that! And you just did with a damned paper cup! Why did you never go out for basketball? The team might be decent if you played!"

Kurt did his best to contain a self satisfied smirk, but some of it might have leaked through as she waved off the comments with a casual flick of his wrist. "Oh, really it's nothing. It's just a matter of trajectory, velocity, and then letting gravity do the rest. And do you _really_ think I'd want to audition for the basketball team? No, after football, I think it best to give up on participating in sports even if my own array of unique skills might lead to victories for the 'team' because even then I'll never be a part of _the team_." He hadn't intended for the statement to sound as bitter as it ended up being, but it was too late to take the words back. He hoped Puck was too caught up in his own issues right now to pick up on it as he looked down at his lap.

"Shit Hum—Kurt. We really _are_ a bunch of assholes, aren't we?"

There went that hope. Kurt sighed and looked up at the other boy; though he wasn't entirely certain when they'd changed positions so they were looking at each other. He was surprised by how bothered by the concept he seemed. "Look Noah, we live in a small town, and go to a small town high school. It's synonymous with a close-minded need for uniformity and when someone or something steps out of line it's not accepted. And I'm willing to admit that not _all_ the jocks are as sphincter-like as some of the others. Mike and Matt are okay. I'd thought Finn was one of the nice ones, but… well, after the whole 'faggy' episode, it's hard to trust him as much."

Silence fell between the two again. Another ambulance came screeching up to the curb unloading a heart attack patient only to leave a few minutes later. "What about me?" Puck asked.

Kurt didn't even bother to pretend he didn't know what the other boy was talking about, which led to another sigh. Hopefully excessive sighing wouldn't give him wrinkles. "Most of my life, you've been the asshole to end all assholes. It's always been a tie between you and Karofsky for who's caused more nightmares and more damage to my wardrobe. On the wardrobe damage front, Karofsky wins by about $75. Oh, and by about fifteen bruises. You've given me more nightmares." The countertenor's expression was devoid of its usual superiority and contempt; instead it was rather open and brutally honest.

It made Puck cringe, not sure if he wanted to hear anymore, but the smaller boy continued anyway. "Now though… Now I think you might have a few redeeming features. You really tried to own up and help Quinn with the baby, even if your methods weren't exactly shining examples intelligence. Honestly, I think if you quit obsessing over what a stud you are with your 'guns' and what others think of you, you could be a decent person. I think you might have some intelligence hiding in that head of yours and the fashion gods wept with joy when you lost that fashion faux pas that was your Mohawk. If you'd just let me improve your clothing and style, well, that would just be icing." He looked at the jock, studying him, "Yes, Noah Puckerman, I believe somewhere in there," slim fingers tapped the other boys muscular chest lightly, "who could be a good man and a wonderful friend. I think that person has been buried and ignored for so long that it will take a lot of work for him to be ready to meet the world. But in the end, it would be worth it."

Kurt fell silent again, and Puck considered the smaller boy as he cringed slightly, no doubt thinking he'd overstepped an invisible boundary and was going to get his ass kicked now. "You can relax Kurt," Puck sighed and ran his hand over his shaved head, "I'm not going to kick your ass for being honest. And probably right." A chuckle escaped his lips as he decided that shocked was a good look on Kurt. His mouth was hanging open and his eyes were huge. It was kind of cute in the same way a golden retriever puppy was cute when it was given a juicy bone three times its size. But it was kind of sad too. It made Puck really think about how he'd treated the other boy over the years. How would he feel if a bunch of girls did something similar to Bekah just because she was different and refused to hide who she was? He'd be fucking livid and probably demand a bunch of twelve year old heads on pikes. He was suddenly rather glad Kurt didn't have an older brother to kick all their asses, though Mr. Hummel was scary in his own right. And no doubt owned quite a few guns.

Kurt checked his phone and winced when he saw what time it was. His dad was not going to be happy. Maybe he could convince him he'd gone out with the girls to get some nonfat frozen yogurt to bemoan their loss at Regionals and the loss of the Glee Club. Wait, did Puck even know yet? "We came in third. Vocal Adrenaline won."

Puck just looked at him, "Well fuck. No more Glee then, huh? Well, that sucks a monkey's testicles."

The smaller boy wrinkled his nose at the other, "That's disgusting Noah. And what difference does it make to you? You still have your popularity and status as the school 'stud.' What do you need to miss Glee for? You still have football and basketball. Glee is pretty much all some of us have."

"You still have Cheerios."

"Cheerios is a means to an end, and while I enjoy it, I joined to make a point to Mr. Schue. He's learned somewhat, and I've no doubt I'll stay in Cheerios, but other than Britt and maybe Santana, I'm not friends with the Cheerios. In Glee, I have Mercedes and Quinn and Tina and Artie in addition to Britt and Santana."

The jock gave him an inscrutable look in response. "What about the rest of us?"

"Matt and Mike, or Changford as I call them since you rarely see one without the other, are really nonentities to me, as heartless as that sounds. They never picked on me, but neither did they ever make an effort to defend me from the bullying, and I've never really talked to them in or out of Glee. Those two have probably known each other as long as you and Finn have known each other, if not longer. I already told you, you have the potential to be a friend Noah. If you could find it in yourself to give up some of your obsession with your popularity and realize that a person's popularity and status in high school has very little to do one's ability and what they will achieve with their life. I mean, what do you want to do after high school, or have you honestly even thought that far?"

Puck shrugged. "I've given it some thought, but not a lot. I don't exactly have the money to go to a good college, and I'm not good enough to get by on a football scholarship. Don't have the brains for any other scholarship either. I guess Quinn really was right, huh? I'm destined to be a Lima Loser forever."

The smaller boy rolled his eyes, "Really Noah, self pity doesn't suit you. Everyone has the power to change their lot in life, usually it's just a matter of whether they're willing to ask for help or not. The question is, are you?"

The jock knew that he wanted to get out of Lima more than anything, but he'd told Kurt the truth, with his financial status in addition to his grades and mediocre football ability, he was pretty much screwed, unless he had help, but who would help him? "I guess I'm willing," he finally said, looking down and picking at the edge of a hole in his jeans, "but who would help me? I mean, it's not like I can afford to pay someone to tutor me, and no one is going to say, 'Hey, maybe it would be nice and fun to help Puck out with his schoolwork.' Face it man, I'm fucked."

There was a long silence on Kurt's part before he hummed thoughtfully. Puck was still looking down, picking at his jeans, and a slightly mischievous look crossed the smaller boy's face. "Hey, maybe it would be nice and fun to help Noah out with his schoolwork so he doesn't completely fail as a human being!"

Noah's gaze shot from his lap to the countertenor's face in shock before his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "Are you serious, or is this some kind of… I dunno… fucked up payback thing?"

The brunette boy rolled his eyes and sighed, "While I've often entertained delightfully vicious fantasies of bringing you to your knees in subjugated awe and verbally emasculating and eviscerating you; this is not the beginnings of some elaborate plan to pay you back for the years of bullying torment, I assure you."

"Then why?"

"Can't I just be a nice person?"

One eyebrow rose on the jock's face incredulously, "To Wheels? Yes. To Mercedes? Yes. To pretty much any other member of Glee? Yes. To me?" he shrugged, "I'm more likely to get an exhibition of your kicking abilities performed on my balls."

Kurt frowned, "Oh for the love of Versace! Can you at least _try_ to get your head out of your ass or the car key out of your ear long enough to actually _listen_ to what I'm saying?" His answer was a glare that really looked more petulant than intimidating. "You would like to be a better person, right?" A nod. "Good, and you need help to achieve this goal, correct?" Another nod. "Just think of it as a long term makeover. And we both know I can't resist a makeover!" he announced with no small amount of fiendish glee.

"I'm going to die, aren't I, and my body be left in the woods in a Lady Gaga costume?" Noah deadpanned at the smaller boy, causing him to giggle. The sound made him smile slightly in return. "I really don't want that to happen. I don't think I could pull off those shoes like you did."

The smaller boy rolled his eyes, "Of _course_, you can't pull off vintage Alexander McQueen like I can. But maybe that that yellow spandex number from 'Paparazzi.' The black lipstick and glasses would be perfect for you…" he said with a smirk while looking Puck over appraisingly, his eyes lingering here and there just to get a rise out of the other boy.

Puck glared, "To quote Mercedes, oh _HELL_ to the naw!" A chuckle escaped him when he saw Kurt doubled over giggling and soon, both boys were laughing. One would begin to get himself under control, see the other, and start laughing all over again. The few people entering and exiting the emergency room made sure to give the two boys a wide berth, most likely wondering if they were a pair of escapees from the psychiatric ward. "You know," the jock commented once they'd calmed their laughter, "you're a pretty cool guy Hummel."

Kurt gave him a half-hearted glare, "And now we're back to the last name…" he waved the other boy off when he started to say something with a casual flick of his wrist, "Yes, I know it's just something that 'dudes' do, even with friends, but it's still irritating."

"And old habits are hard to break."

"And old habits are hard to break," the smaller boy conceded as his phone chimed, signaling a new text. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and winced when he saw the sender. His dad was not a happy camper.

"What's up?"

"My dad. He wants to know where I am considering the competition was over a couple hours ago. I suppose I'd better get home," Kurt informed the jock as he stood and brushed off his pants.

"Oh." Noah rose from the curb as well. "Yeah. I guess… I'll see you later then." Suddenly he was looking everywhere _but_ at the small countertenor. "Um… ya know… thanks for…well, um… just thanks," he stuttered out, rubbing at the back of his head self-consciously as Kurt just stared at him with his head tilted inquisitively.

"How are you getting home?"

"Huh?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and smirked, "You couldn't have driven here, so you can't drive home. Ergo, unless you plan on walking, you're stuck," the smaller boy commented with far too much cheerfulness in Puck's opinion as the jock grunted noncommittally. "So, being the magnanimous being that I am, I am willing to offer my assistance in returning you to your domicile."

"Say _what?_ Seriously man, can't you ever just speak _English_?"

"Oh for the love of… _seriously_ Noah? Would you like me to give you a ride home?"

Puck glared for a moment then shrugged, "Oh. Sure, thanks. Why didn't you just say that in the first place?"

"Because it's entertaining to bewilder the plebeians with my vastly superior vocabulary?" Kurt asked innocently while his eyes sparkled mischievously.

"_English_, Hummel, English," the jock said with a grin.

"Hmph. Neanderthal." The smaller boy huffed, but there was a small smirk playing about his lips. "Now come on, if you want a ride home. It's going to take enough fast talking as is to keep my father from cutting all of this month's wardrobe budget without being even later because you want to argue about my vocabulary."

"Fine," Puck grunted, "Lead the way Princess." The smaller boy didn't deign to answer and just led the way across the parking lot, digging his car keys out of his pants pocket as he walked.

Puck sighed in relief when their reached the sleek black Lincoln Navigator. The combination of caffeine and adrenaline was quickly wearing off, and now all the jock wanted to do was sleep for the next week and just forget that he had any cares. That he'd just lost his daughter and the mother of his daughter; who really, had never belonged to him to begin with. The alarm system chirped as Kurt disarmed it with the key fob and both boys climbed tiredly into the luxury SUV.

Kurt simply relaxed into the leather seats for a moment before fastening his seatbelt and starting the vehicle. He looked over at the jock who was simply staring blankly out the windshield. "Seatbelt on Noah." The other boy simply turned to look at him. "I'm serious. Either you put the seatbelt on, or you walk home. Your choice Noah Puckerman." Finally, the jock fastened his own seatbelt, and Kurt nodded in satisfaction. With just a few quick strokes of his nimble fingers, the Navigator's stereo flared to life, the music picking up where it had left off when last stopped, and the second half of _Rent's_ "What You Own" drifted from the speakers as the countertenor backed out of the parking spot and made his way onto the main roads.

Both boys were quiet on the drive to the jocks house, each lost in their own thoughts or simply listening to the music until a soft piano and steel guitar intro started up. Kurt felt a small, poignant smile curve upon his face as he turned the volume up a couple notches and he softly began to sing along.

_When darkness falls upon your heart and soul  
I'll be the light that shines for you  
When you forget how beautiful you are  
I'll be there to remind you_

He couldn't help the shocked gasp that escaped when Puck picked up the next couple lines and he glanced at the other boy out of the corner of his eye. Puck just gave him a small smile and nodded to him, so joined in, harmonizing on the last two lines of the verse.

**When you can't find your way  
I'll find my way to you**

_**When troubles come around  
I will come to you**_

Kurt's smile grew as the boys started harmonizing through the chorus of the song, then trading off lines, turning it into a true duet.

_**I'll be your shoulder when you need someone to lean on  
Be your shelter**_  
_When you need someone to see you through_  
**I'll be there to carry you**  
_**I'll be there**_  
**I'll be the rock that will be strong for you**  
_The one that will hold on to you_  
**When you feel that rain falling down**_**  
**__When there's nobody else around__**  
I'll be**_

There was no stopping the slight giggle that escaped when Puck wiggled his eyebrows and flexed his impressive arm muscles when he sang "The rock that will be strong for you." There was no doubting the older boy's strength, considering he'd felt it all the times the football jocks had tossed him in the dumpster. _Look how far we've come_, the brunette thought wryly as Noah started into the next verse of the song, before he picked up his parts in their impromptu duet.

**And when you're there with no one there to hold  
I'll be the arms that reach for you  
And when you feel your faith is running low.  
I'll be there to believe in you**

_When all you find are lies  
I'll be the truth you need_  
_**When you need someone to run to  
You can run to me**_

Both boys were smiling widely and Noah thought they actually sounded pretty good together. The smaller boy just seemed to _know_ how best to harmonize with Puck's huskier voice instinctively in order to meld their voices into something new. And really, if Puck were being completely honest with himself, not only could they probably run Rachel and Finn off the stage in a competition, Kurt by himself could most likely give Reba herself a run for her money.

_**I'll be your shoulder when you need someone to lean on  
Be your shelter**_  
_When you need someone to see you through_  
**I'll be there to carry you**  
_**I'll be there**_  
**I'll be the rock that will be strong for you**  
_The one that will hold on to you_  
**When you feel that rain falling down**_**  
**__When there's nobody else around__**  
I'll be**_

**I'll be the sun.  
When your heart's filled with rain.**

Kurt startled when he felt nudge his arm where it rested on the console between the seats as the jock beside him began the bridge and he turned to look at his companion when he got stopped by a red light, wondering what the touch was for. It wasn't like the boy was the type to be particularly touchy feely with anyone, let alone McKinley's resident gay kid. Well, unless the countertenor counted the dumpster dives, but Noah hadn't indulged in that since just after he'd joined the Glee club. But as he met the other boy's eyes, he saw something there he hadn't seen before. There was a warmth, a _friendliness_, there. Maybe their conversation tonight had made an impact, and right there Kurt Hummel decided that maybe he should let go of his sordid past with the formerly mowhawked teen and extend an olive branch of friendship. It was with that thought in mind that he continued the song, keeping his blue-green eyes locked on Noah Puckerman's hazel orbs.

_I'll be the one.  
To chase the rain away._

Puck smirked slightly when he saw the other boys eyes go from shocked to thoughtful to friendly and encouraging as they sat stopped at the light, only turning away when the car behind them honked in annoyance after it turned green. It seemed odd to the jock that, for once, he wasn't the least bit uncomfortable around the gay kid. It wasn't like the kid wanted him, and really, he was running a little short on people he really considered friends lately. He wasn't about to look a gift horse, or an olive branch in the mouth, or the olive? He relaxed in the seat with a true smile and nudged Kurt's shoulder lightly with his fist.

_**I'll be your shoulder when you need someone to lean on  
Be your shelter**_  
_When you need someone to see you through_  
**I'll be there to carry you**  
_**I'll be there**_  
**I'll be the rock that will be strong for you**  
_The one that will hold on to you_  
**When you feel that rain falling down**_**  
**__When there's nobody else around__**  
I'll be**_

_**I'll be**_

_**I'll be**_

Their voices drifted away, the last notes of the song falling to silence as the Navigator pulled up in front of Puck's house and Kurt cut the engine. They were silent for a moment, neither wanting to break whatever had been forged since the countertenor had joined the jock on the curb at the hospital. But it had to be broken. Puck sighed and opened the passenger door, sliding out of the leather seat of the SUV and turned back to look at Kurt. "Look Hummel, thanks. You're a pretty decent guy. And… well, if you want to… hang out, or whatever, call me or something, yeah?"

The brunette's eyes were wide as he nodded and then grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. He quickly scribbled his phone number down and handed it to the jock. "Here, my number. The same offer is open to you as well. And if you need help studying or anything, let me know."

Puck rubbed at the back of his neck nervously, "Yeah… I will. Well… see you Monday Dude," he said as he shut the door of the Navigator and walked up the path to his front door.

Kurt grumbled in annoyance and rolled the window down to yell at the other boy, "Don't call me 'Dude!' My _name_ is Kurt!"

Puck just waved and called out over his shoulder, "Whatever you say Princess!"

The counter tenor huff petulantly, though he could feel a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he watched the jock let himself into his house before he started his car and drove off toward home. As he wandered through the streets of Lima, he couldn't help but think how strange his night had turned out. He didn't know how things would work out between him and Noah in the long run, but maybe, there was more to the older boy than Kurt had thought possible. Suddenly he was looking forward to finding out. That was, if he could keep his dad from completely killing him when he got home.

_~Finite_

**A/N Part 2:** Yes, the ending is odd… it may be reworked later. I'm planning on making this a series/multichapter fic, and I do plan on using aspects of season 2, though not all aspects of it. The part I'm debating on using right now is the whole Juvie thing. As with all authors, reviews are always appreciated, good and bad alike. If you leave me a review that simply says "Hey, you suck!" I'll simply reply with "Hey, screw you, I enjoyed writing it, and you didn't have to read it!" But that's just me. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.


	2. I Didn't Get My Perfect Fantasy

**Disclaimer:** No, I don't own Glee, or any of the songs used herein. Thank you for that painful reminder…

**A/N:** Okay, I have to indulge in a minor "tearful diva" moment here. *Ahem* _You like me! You really like me!_ Seriously though, I didn't expect much reaction to I'll Be. I would have been happy with 50 hits, instead, get over 200 in less than 24 hours. While this isn't the first story I've ever written or even published, it's definitely gotten the best reaction. Thank you for the reviews and all the alerts and favorites, and I appreciate continued support and reviews. I apologize on the length of time it took to get this chapter done. My work schedule isn't always the most conducive to my writing, so I end up grabbing bits of time when I can. Then add in editing and such… and then the fact that "Why" wouldn't get itself out of my head, and I wasn't about to work that into this story…well that just adds to the time. But I do promise that this won't be one of those stories that's never finished.

There's one timeline note that I want to make. To my knowledge, in the episode "Journey," it's never stated how much time there is between Regionals and the end of the school year. Nor between the competition and them finding out that Glee wasn't being cut for the following year. Most schools get out by the middle of June if they've had many snow days, and I know from personal experience that the Show Choir Competitions are usually over by the second week of May at the latest. So I figure if they find out that Glee is continuing at the last meeting of the year, there's roughly a three week to one month gap for Kurt and Noah to begin really cementing the friendship. At least, that's the way the timeline in my little universe is going to work.

Oh, and just as a warning; I have no idea where this story is ultimately going to end up. I have various scenes figured out, but they're ones that come later in Noah and Kurt's relationship. We'll get there, but it's going to be an interesting journey. One chapter that I'd like to do would involve a jump to the future with a trans-gendered Kurt, and I'm just not sure that's something I want to do with this particular story. It may turn into a story of its own though.

I'd planned on the next chapter picking up with the new school year, but I wanted this to be more about the evolution of friendship and growth of their relationship so things will be even hotter when they do get together. Also, I'm going to use some things from season two, but I'm also going to take a lot of things in my own direction. One thing I would like to get readers' opinions on though, is whether or not they want to see the cannon pairings or whether they'd like to see me get a bit more creative. If there's one I'll most likely keep cannon, it's Artie/Brittany because they're so much cuter than I thought they'd be and I've developed a definite fondness for that pairing. Okay… no more rambling from me.

On with the story!

**I'll Be**

**Chapter 2: I Didn't Get My Perfect Fantasy**

Kurt didn't think he could stop smiling. He was going to have to use extra anti-aging serum that night at the rate he was going; otherwise he'd probably end up with laugh lines. And any kind of wrinkles just was _not_ acceptable to the countertenor. But at that particular moment, he couldn't bring himself to care. Glee was going to continue next year. The group's safe haven away from the rest of the school had survived. The fashionable teen didn't care _why_ it was safe; he just cared that it was. He swayed slightly in his seat, kind of dancing but not really as Mr. Schue strummed his ukulele with Noah on guitar while they performed homage to the Israel Kamakawiwo'ole version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Noah… that was one friendship he hadn't seen coming. Of course, the jock was still an ass half the time, but he really seemed to be trying to change. And just like Kurt had told the other teen outside the hospital after Regionals, it was going to be a long term makeover, but the smaller boy was committed to seeing the project through. Especially since Puck hadn't reverted back to form the following Monday after their little heart to heart. Kurt had gone to school fully expecting that, even if the jock didn't bully him anymore, he'd at least be ignored as usual. Instead, there was Noah Puckerman, leaning against the countertenor's locker Monday morning, his normal cocky smirk in place and a Starbucks cup in each hand. Kurt shook his head slightly, looking down at his lap as he remembered.

* * *

_Kurt had frozen in his tracks when he saw Puck standing there at his locker, so shocked that he barely registered Mercedes' nails suddenly digging into his arm through his Prada shirt."What is he planning now?" she had hissed in his ear, and he'd simply shrugged in reply which also served to dislodge the black girl's nails from his arm._

_Puck had started to shuffle somewhat nervously, "Umm. Hey Hu—Kurt. I figured I kinda owed you a coffee. I figured you liked that girly latte shit, and I had them make it with skim milk for you 'cuz you're like, obsessed with calories and all." The jock had realized he was rambling and shut his mouth with an audible click._

_Kurt had giggled and accepted the coffee with a smile, "Well, you have my heartfelt gratitude Noah. You know, you should really endeavor to share your benevolent persona with the masses." He was able to see Mercedes staring at him like he'd lost his mind as he'd needled his former bully, but he'd known what he was doing as was proven when the nervous jock relaxed and let out a snort of laughter._

"_English, Dude. __**English!**__"_

"_Noah, I am simply making an attempt to expand your extremely limited vocabulary. And stop calling me Dude!" Kurt rolled his eyes in slight annoyance and glared at the bigger teen with a small teasing smirk gracing his lips._

"_Whatever Princess," Puck had retorted with an eyeroll of his own, "Just drink the damned coffee."_

_Kurt's smirk had turned into a smile and he'd taken a sip of the latte before promptly moaning at the taste of a slice of caffeinated heaven. _

"_Seriously Kurt, I said drink it, not have sex with it!" The jock had smirked as the countertenor's face flamed red before a deep chuckle had escaped. Kurt's blue-green eyes had met hazel and he'd begun to smile when a screech interrupted the boys' byplay._

"_What the __**HELL**__ white boy?"Both had turned to look at her in surprise and she'd looked between the two, her gaze bouncing back and forth as though she were watching a tennis match. "Someone want to explain what's going on here?"_

_

* * *

_Kurt stifled a giggle at the memory. It had taken them _forever_ to convince his best girl that Noah's friendliness and the coffee weren't some new kind of bullying or some plot to set the fashionable boy up for some kind of major prank, but in the end they had. Mercedes was starting to warm up to the jock, but it was an extremely slow process. But at least she wasn't arguing about Kurt being friends with the other boy. And it was nice; having a boy who was a friend. Someone who wasn't uncomfortable around him; who would tease him about being a big girl and call him a badass in the same sentence. The petite boy looked back up at the performing teacher and student, meeting Noah's gaze.

Puck wore a crooked grin on his face as he strummed his guitar and sang backup for Mr. Schue. He'd known about the Glee Club surviving to sing another year a couple of days before anyone else besides the teacher. Schue wanted to perform his own 'thank you' for the kids' support, and wanted the jock's help due to his ability with acoustic guitar, but he'd been sworn to secrecy. It was one secret he didn't mind keeping because he'd be up at the front of the room to see all the excited faces and the looks of joy on the rest of the club's faces. He darted a look at the Cheerio girls and saw that even Santana looked happy and less bitchy than she usually did. He chanced a glance over at Kurt and saw him swaying slightly with his gaze on his lap.

It was almost as though the smaller boy felt someone looking at him as he raised his head and their stares met. Puck quirked his lips up a bit more into a larger smile as he met the blue eyes and saw the broad grin on that delicate face. It tended to be a rare expression for the countertenor, and Noah couldn't resist the playful wink at his new friend which resulted in a giggle. As he strummed the final notes of the song, the rest of the club cheered for the two, and Puck felt Mr. Schuester give him a friendly slap on the back and shoulder squeeze as the rest of the group swarmed around them.

The room was filled with excited chatter and plans for the summer as the bell rang, letting the students out of class for the last time of the year. The room echoed a raucous cheer as Artie started singing Alice Cooper's "School's Out" as he wheeled himself toward the door and the others joined in as they made their way out of the classroom, laughing and pushing each other good naturedly. Mercedes was the last of the group, and she kept looking back over her shoulder at Kurt, obviously waiting on the boy. He simply gave her a smile and waved her on as he gathered his things, obviously waiting on Puck. The black girl just huffed and joined with the others, striking up a conversation with Tina as she did.

"Thanks again for your help, Puck," their teacher said with one last friendly back slap as he made his own way out of the room, ukulele in hand. "Have a good summer boys!" he called back over his shoulder and the two could hear him whistling "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," as he strode down the hall.

Kurt walked over to stand beside the taller boy as he closed his guitar case and latched it, "You knew," he stated, his voice semi-accusing, "For how long?"

The jock gave a one-shoulder shrug, "Since Tuesday. Schue swore me to secrecy though."

The countertenor crossed his arms and pouted slightly, "So? You still could have told me. I could have kept the secret," he grumbled, his eyes locked on the bent form in front of him.

Finally, Noah stood up straight and looked at the smaller boy with a slight smirk and a raised eyebrow, "And missed out on your expression when Schue told everyone? No way in hell Kurt." He grinned widely as he picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder then grabbed his guitar case. "Seriously, you looked like some Broadway bigshot just asked you to play that green chick you like so much."

"Actually, if I were to be offered the part of Elphaba, I'd probably faint dead away. Or not… if Rachel were there to witness it; I'd have to stay conscious just to bask in her ultimate defeat." Kurt envisioned the occurrence happily as he slung his own bag over his shoulder and the two unlikely friends made their way out of the choir room and toward the parking lot. "Hey Noah," the brunette asked as he stopped Puck with a hand on a muscular forearm just before they split up to go to their separate cars.

"Yeah?"

"What are you doing Sunday?"

"Nothing that I know of. Why? You asking me on a date?" He arched one eyebrow and smirked.

Kurt rolled his eyes as he blushed and punched the bigger boy on the arm in response. "_No_. I'm planning a club pool party, just a way for all of us to have fun and let go of all the drama from the past year and celebrate the fact that it's all over. Though now, really we can celebrate that glee is still around." The countertenor took a deep breath and let it out slowly when he realized he was babbling before starting again, "Anyway. I was wondering if you a, wanted to come and b, would help out a bit."

The response was a casual shrug, "Sure. Why not? Not like I've got anything better to do."

The smaller boy just nodded, "Good. Give me a call later tonight, and we can work out the plans. Oh, and do you mind calling Mike and Matt to let them know they're invited? Everyone else is handled."

Puck nodded. "Yeah, that's fine. So Finn already knows?" he asked casually.

Kurt just gave the jock 'The Eyebrow,' "Is that your not-so-subtle way of asking if we're back on decent terms?"

A half-shrug was the answer, "I wasn't exactly going for subtle anything. Is he being less of a douche to you?"

The countertenor sighed, "Not exactly a conversation I want to have in the middle of the school parking lot, Noah."

"Fine, then come over to my house. I have to go pick up Bekah from her volleyball practice, but that won't take long, so you can just meet me there if you want?"

Kurt tilted his head as he thought for a moment on whether he had any pressing plans that evening. Burt usually worked late at the garage on Wednesdays, so it was usually a fairly boring night at the Hummel household, especially once school was out and there was no longer homework to keep Kurt occupied. "Yeah, that's fine. I'll just have to text my dad to let him know where I'm going, but it's better than just hanging out at home."

Noah nodded, "Okay, give me a ten minute head start, and we should get there about the same time. Mom has to work late tonight, so if you do beat me there, you'll just have to wait on me anyway."

"Or… I could stop by the store and get some drinks and snacks and we can just work on planning the party at your house," the smaller boy commented as he folded his arms across his chest.

The jock smirked, "Or that works too."

Kurt didn't bother with an answer and jut shoved the larger boy toward his truck before he turned and headed for his Navigator. He really did have to agree with Mercedes that his and Noah's friendship was just odd. But then again, he'd never really had a _guy_ friend before to just hang out with. And he supposed what he shared with the jock was rather like a "normal" friendship with a boy. He started the SUV and watched as Puck turned right to head to the middle school while he turned left to head toward Noah's house and the convenience store.

He grabbed a shopping basket from just inside the sliding doors of the small store and didn't even bother going down the couple of aisles nearest the doors since he wasn't after batteries, magazines or toiletries. He veered down the aisle with the chips and grabbed a bag of Doritos along with some cheddar Sun Chips and then headed for the sweets. Peanut butter M&M's were quickly thrown into the basket followed by Skittles and Hershey's Kisses. From the refrigerated section it was sugar free jello cups and fruit cocktail along with a few bottles of water. The countertenor was sure his friend would object to the healthier snacks, but at least _he_ would feel better for not eating only horribly fattening junk foods. Thankfully, the line to check out was rather short, so it wasn't long before Kurt was back in his Navigator with his purchases and on the way to Puck's house.

The brunette boy smiled slightly when he pulled up to his friend's house and saw the slightly rusted blue Ford sitting in the drive. The jock and his sister were just climbing out of the truck, the laughing as she ran toward the front door. It made Kurt smile somewhat sadly. He wondered what Bethy would have been like had she been born and gotten the chance to grow. She would have been about two years younger than Puck's little sister. Would she have been a girly girl? A tomboy? Would she have sung? Danced? Played some kind of sport? Would she have had his mother's soft auburn curls or the dark locks he'd inherited from his father? He closed his eyes. He always envisioned her as a rather cherubic little girl with bouncing red curls and a sunny disposition. Pale skin and freckles with the same blue-green eyes and wide smile as her big brother. Having tea parties together, teaching her all about fashion, being a shoulder to cry on when some boy broke her heart.

There was a knock on the window and Kurt opened his eyes, his vision blurry when he did, causing more tears that he hadn't even realized were there to fall down his cheeks. Puck was standing there with a concerned look on his face, so he opened the door, forcing the other boy to step back a bit. "You okay, man?"

"Ye—yes, I'm fine," he said as he wiped the tears away and opened the door further so he could slip out, pulling his keys from the ignition as he did. He grabbed the bags from the convenience store and his messenger bag and shut the door, locking the SUV as Noah grabbed the foodstuffs from him.

"So, you wanna tell me what that was about?"

The countertenor turned to see the muscular jock looking at him through narrowed eyes and sighed. "Can we just add it to the 'to talk about' list, and I'll tell you at some undefined point in the future?" Noah nodded, but didn't look happy about it; he just opened the door and ushered the smaller boy in. Then the jock groaned when he heard music blaring through the house.

_Well the sunset better set soon__  
__So we can get in the mood__  
__Things start getting all heated up__  
__When it starts getting cool, yeah_

"Bekah!" Puck's annoyed bellow echoed through the house.

"_What_?" came the equally annoyed response.

"Will you _please_ turn that shit _down_?"

_Summer nights__  
__Everybody, are you with me?__  
__Let that igloo cooler mark your piece of paradise__  
__Summer nights__  
__Everybody's feeling sexy__  
__Holler if you're ready for some summer nights__  
__Come on._

"Make me!"

Puck growled, and Kurt couldn't help but giggle at the frustrated expression on the other teen's face.

"Rebekah Anne Puckerman! If you don't turn that down _right _now, you're going to lose that iPod for a month!"

Rebekah came to the head of the stairs and glared down at her brother who mimicked her pose and glared right back. Kurt clamped his hand over his mouth to try and reign in his laughter. The siblings made him think of some kind of Old West standoff, but "Summer Nights" playing the background made for an amusing rendition of _High Noon_.

"But Boh-boh!"

Puck cringed at the use of his sister's nickname for him when he saw Kurt's raised eyebrows. "Bekah, I have a friend over, and we want to actually be able to hear each other talk. Now either turn it down or put your headphones on. You do that, and I'll let you pick what we're having for dinner."

The girl got a calculating look on her face, eerily reminiscent of the older boy's. "Even if it's not kosher?"_  
_

_Oohhh, oh yeah yeah._

Puck narrowed his eyes even further but shrugged, "You can eat non-kosher and deal with Mom, but I'm keeping kosher."

Bekah huffed in that annoyed manner that it seems only preteen girls can manage and stomped off toward her room, "Fine. I swear you're such a Judaic Nazi."

"Don't let mom hear you using that word!"

_Now fellas, you better watch your step__  
__Don't let them teeny french bikinis__  
__Make you lose your breath_

Hazel eyes closed and the formerly mohawked boy sighed in relief as the music was silenced. The quiet was almost deafening, but he could hear muffled laughter coming from his right. He opened his eyes and turned to look toward the location of the sound. There stood Kurt, one pale hand clasped over his mouth and his blue-green eyes glittering as he did his best to hold in his mirth. "Go ahead," Puck grumbled as he rolled his eyes, "Laugh. I swear I'm going to string her up by her toes one of these days. I've been trying to decide if it's actually kosher to dumpster toss your own sister…"

Kurt lost it then, doubling over in laughter with his arms wrapped around his stomach. Through the tears of laughter, the brunette boy could see the exasperation on the bigger boy's face, but whether the look was aimed at him or his sister was up for debate. "S—sorry," he stuttered out as he fought to get his laughter under control. A deep baritone chuckle joined Kurt's higher pitched laughter and soon the boys were holding each other up as they laughed together, much as they had that night at the hospital. _'It's amazing how just a few weeks can completely change things,'_ he thought as he and Noah worked to get themselves under control.

"Dude, I swear, you laughing is frigging contagious," Puck commented amongst a few more chuckles as he herded the smaller boy toward the couch.

The countertenor frowned as he set the bags of snacks on the coffee table and curled himself onto one end of the couch, hugging one of the throw pillows that decorated the piece of furniture to his chest. "How many times must I tell you not to call me 'Dude?' You know I absolutely abhor that term."

"Always once more, Princess," Puck said with a smirk and a wink as he sat on the other end of the couch. "Sorry, it's just habit to call any guy friend 'Dude.' Even if that guy swears he's an honorary girl. What's your problem with dude anyway?"

The smaller boy pursed his lips and wrinkled his nose, "Because, it implies that I'm just an average guy, and I'm far too fabulous to be considered _average_. Nor am I a foppish East Coast man trying to live in the Old West. There is also the fact that there are rumors going around that 'dude' is also an infected follicle on the posterior of a pachyderm," Kurt commented with a disgusted shudder.

Puck just sat there staring at his friend, trying to work through that last bit. He knew Kurt liked to use the really big words just to fuck with him, but he was getting better at translating what the small countertenor said into normal English. His expression transformed from one of confusion to concentration and then to a disgusted sneer when he finally understood what the fashionista had said. "An infected ass hair? _Really?_"

"On an elephant. Don't forget that part, Noah."

"Oh no, we can't forget that part," Puck commented sarcastically. "Wait… so dude is really like an insult?"

Kurt really hadn't planned on getting into a discussion about the etymology of the word dude when he'd agreed to come over to Noah's house, but it put off having to talk about his messed up relationship with Finn after the 'Fag Fiasco.' He fixed his bangs with one hand and sighed. "Why am I getting into this with you? We get out of school for the summer and you decide you want a lesson in etymology and the evolution of language?" He rolled his eyes. "Okay, try to keep up with this… As time goes on and cultures grow, words and their meanings change. Words that used to have negative meanings transform through the centuries to have positive meanings while those that used to be complements come to be insults. It actually shows that a culture is constantly growing and changing, keeping it alive."

Puck nodded, it made sense to him, "Like 'bad' in the '80's, right?"

"Yes, though why you know what words were trendy the decade before you were even born I'll never know. Anyway, there are a lot of words that have changed over time. For example, girl used to simply mean 'a young person.' It wasn't gender specific. Nice used to be an insult; it meant stupid instead of kind. And sophisticated used to mean corrupt, though if you think about the number of sophisticated people who are intrinsically corrupt, I suppose the meaning hasn't changed all that much. But back to the word 'dude,'" Puck had to laugh at the way Kurt's nose wrinkled in revulsion whenever he said the word. "When it was first used, it was used to describe an 'ill-bred and ignorant, but ostentatious, man from the city.' Then you had the dude ranches where rich Easterners would go and experience the life of cowboys as a fun little vacation. Then somehow California surfers picked the word up and since then, it's just kind of infested popular culture through various songs and movies until it has gotten to the point that I swear I counted 173 'dudes' in one ten minute conversation I overheard in the halls. That's a dude every 3.4 _seconds_! It's no wonder Lima is so full of ignorant primordial ooze trying to pass itself off as evolved apes."

"How the hell do you know all this shit? Or remember it for that matter?" Puck asked incredulously as he twisted the cap off a bottle of water and took a drink.

"What can I say, I'm a genius," Kurt said with a smug smile.

"Humble too, aren't ya Princess," the jock commented with a roll of his eyes and saw the other boy's nonchalant shrug. He knew Kurt was avoiding the subject of Finn, and he knew that he wanted to know what was going on. Everyone thought guys didn't gossip unless they were gay, but Puck liked having the dirt on everyone. It helped him stay McKinley's Number One Badass even after joining Glee. It was half the reason he kept hooking up with Santana. The girl's idea of pillow talk amounted to dishing all the gossip the Cheerio had collected in the past week. And the Cheerios always knew the dirt on everyone. And with Kurt being a Cheerio too, that meant that the little divo had the dirt on absolutely everything. "Alright Kurt… Give me the story on what's going on with you and Finn. The guy's hardly even looked at you for the past month, and when he does, he looks like he's a combination of pissed off, confused, and constipated. But sometimes I think the confused and constipated expressions are permanent parts of his face."

That got a snort of laughter from Kurt and Puck grinned in response. If he could keep the smaller boy laughing, he could keep him from turning into 'scary robo-Kurt' with no emotions whatsoever. "Maybe he's always constipated and it confuses him. It might explain the homophobia; since he's confused by what he already has up his derriere, he couldn't handle anything more."

Puck looked like he was torn between humor and disgust at the countertenor's comment, "Man, that is _so_ not a mental picture I want."

Puck's nose wrinkled in a way that Kurt thought was kind of cute, but he mentally slapped himself for the thought. He didn't want to make his friend uncomfortable, and really, the last thing he wanted was to develop another crush on a straight guy, especially since it would culminate in the loss of a friend and quite possibly getting his pert rear kicked from Lima to Kingdom Come. And he just had too much fun with Puck for that. "So?" Puck interrupted his thought process and Kurt looked at the jock oddly.

"So…what?"

Noah rolled his eyes, "So… quit avoiding the subject. What is going on with you and Finn?"

"I never took you to be a gossip whore, Noah," Kurt teased, "A man-whore maybe, but never a whore of the gossip variety."

Puck laughed and rubbed his chest over his heart, "Ouch! That hurts, Hummel. Twist the knife a little, why don't ya?" He threw a Dorito at the other boy, "Still avoiding. Now _spill_!"

"And you say _I'm_ bossy?" Kurt huffed though he was smiling before looking casually down at his nails. "Did you know that I'm only friends with you so I can do that 'creepy stalker thing' and try to get into your pants?"

"What the fuck?"

"Hmm… yes… and I'm too dumb to figure out you're very straight. Also, you aren't as nice as Finn, so when you figure out what I'm trying to do you're going to beat the hell out of me and nail the lid of the dumpster shut with me inside and then shove it in a lake to drown me for trying to get into your pants. Oh, and I'm also so selfish that I'm single handedly taking your reputation and flushing it down the toilet, making you a prime target for the jocks." Kurt looked back up and met Puck's gaze. "Needless to say, this has been a matter of great dispute between the Village Idiot and myself and has been argued at great length and with extreme vitriol over the past few weeks."

"Wait… _Finn_ said that shit to you?" Puck stared at the countertenor in wide-eyed incredulity. "We are talking about the same guy who actually asked me how to tie his shoes through the eighth grade, right? The one who is actually dumb enough to cheat off Brittany on a math test? Wait, never mind, this is just another example of his extreme idiocy, isn't it?"

Kurt rolled his eyes and sniffed as though he'd smelled something disgusting, "Try another example of his spontaneous homophobia." He tugged at his bangs in frustration, "Dear Gucci, my crush on him wasn't exactly an example of bright shining intellect at all. The thing is, looking back on it; I don't know that it was ever actually _Finn_ that I had the crush on."

Puck looked at him with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"This is going to make more sense if I tell you the whole story from the beginning." He sighed and took a drink from his bottle of water before hugging the pillow on his lap tighter to his chest as though for comfort or protection. "Just before I tried out for the football team, I was walking in the hall. You and Finn were heading in the opposite direction, and you shoulder checked me into the lockers pretty hard." Puck looked like he wanted to say something, and Kurt just waved it off with one hand. "While I was standing there against the lockers, trying to get my breath back from having it knocked out of me, I heard Finn tell you that what you did wasn't cool. That you shouldn't have done that to me. Mind you, he was in Glee by that point, so it was probably just a 'looking out for a teammate' mentality, but to me? In that moment, Finn Hudson was my knight in shining armor that'd stood up to the evil black knight. And he'd done it for _me_." Kurt ignored the put-out expression on Noah's face and continued with his story. "When I looked at him, I saw the super popular quarterback who was nice and kind and a superman who was willing to stand up to bullies to defend me. I applied the ideals I was looking for and overlooked the flaws just because they didn't fit in with the perfect idea of what I thought Finn was or should be. I mean, I even thought it was kind of cute when he was being dumb, and I really prefer a man who can at least carry on a decent conversation. I had blinders on and ignored all the things he'd been guilty of doing in the past."

Noah frowned, "And now?"

The small brunette let out a sigh, "Now I see the boy who wants nothing more than to be the most popular guy in the school. The guy who really puts that before everything else. He just wants to coast by and live his little life with everything in their proper boxes. And apparently, my proper box is in the closet never having the pride to show who I am to the world. And now he freaks out if I so much as touch him when I'm handing him something. If I sit next to him at the table, he'll move his chair away from me even if we aren't even that close to each other. I-if I walk into a room where it's j-just m-me and him, he r-runs out l-like I'm going to rape him and give him some kind of d-disease. Am…am I that disgusting?" Tears started falling from the blue-green eyes and the boy looked even smaller as he curled up even tighter around the pillow, trying to gain some kind of comfort from it.

Puck initially looked on in abject terror. The badass in him screaming, _There is a dude crying! Avoid! Avoid!_ It rather sounded like the warnings on a submarine, complete with blaring claxons. But as he watched his friend falling to pieces, he realized that, when he was crying, Kurt sounded a bit like Bekah, and he could never just let her cry. He'd never let Brit or Quinn just sit there and bawl their eyes out either. And, well, Kurt did always say he was an honorary girl, so he could, like, comfort him like one of the girls, right? _I mean, I know he's a guy, even if I __**do**__ tease him and call him Princess half the time._

The jock nodded to himself, and with his decision made, he moves to the center of the couch and tugs on Kurt's arms to unfold them from around the couch pillow and tosses the annoying thing to the side before pulling and nudging the smaller boy until he's tucked under a large, muscular arm with his face buried against an equally muscular chest that he sobs into. Puck wraps his other arm around Kurt, enveloping him in a hug and rubbing calming circles on the thin back while the countertenor's arms wrapped around his waist. "Shh… Come on Kurt, Hudson's so not worth the tears. You aren't disgusting. Well, if you snot all over my friggin' shirt, I might have to call you kinda gross, but not because you're gay. Just because snot all over the place is just plain nasty." He heard a watery chuckle and a snot filled sniff that he wrinkled his nose at, but he still tightened his arms around the other boy. "You do know Finn can be a major asshat, right?" He got a nod. "Good, because that's what he's doing. He's being an asshat. I mean, do you honestly think he didn't know about your crush on him? Because he did. He may be as dense as Iridium, but he's not blind."

Kurt sniffed, "Iridium?" he mumbled.

"Yeah. It's the densest element on Earth. It weighs 22.65 grams per cubic centimeter. The only thing denser is a neutron which is like 1015 grams per cubic centimeter, but on Earth, they're so tiny it's hard to tell."

Kurt pulled away from the jock's chest, but the two boys were still hugging slightly while he looked up at Noah with wide, surprised eyes. "Do you just play dumb or something?"

Puck's chuckle vibrated through both of their chests, "Nah. I just happen to think a couple of the sciences are kinda cool. Mainly physics, genetics, and chemistry," he said as he looked down into his smaller friend's face. He couldn't help but notice that the color of the brunette's eyes seemed to pop and look even brighter when his eyes were red rimmed and bloodshot from crying. Those unusual eyes looked to be the color of the water you always saw on postcards from Caribbean islands. It was really pretty, one of the prettiest things he could remember seeing; a thought which, frankly, freaked Puck out.

Kurt unwrapped his arms from around the jock's waist and pulled further away, wiping at the tears on his face, wanting to focus on a different subject rather than the drama between Finn and him. "So really, you're a closet science nerd. You ought to hang out with Artie more."

"Hey, you're the one who knows all about closets." He laughed as the fashionista hit him in the chest and glared. "What? You're the one who spent hours ranting about needing all kinds of stuff for your dream closet and a cedar closet for your sweaters and how to 'properly' organize a closet. I think being in the closet for so long has made you obsessed with them."

"Shut up, Puckerman."

"So, no more crying over Finn, right?" Puck looked into Kurt's eyes and could see them getting watery again. "Aw, come on man!" he whined slightly, "Finn is like… the Grand Douche of Douche-land. The… Head Dickhead of Dickdom. The Great Asshat of Ass Mountain! And you're supposed to be the Ice Princess of Iceland." He ignored Kurt's comment that Iceland was no longer a monarchy. "Like this untouchable Celestial Diva here to awe us just by being here and singing. More of a bitch than a whole group of PMS-ing Pussycat Dolls. You aren't supposed to let the douches from Douche-land get to you! You're supposed to tell them to go fuck themselves with a rusty fork or some shit."

The divo was just looking at the larger boy with wide eyes, but then sniffed. And sniffed again. Then his lips twitched. Hazel eyes just continued to stare. "I don't know whether to be flattered or highly insulted by that statement…" He clamped his hand over his mouth when a giggle escaped. Then another. Soon Kurt was holding his stomach as he giggled, but all too quickly, the giggles died away. "Why did it take me so long to realize how self-absorbed Finn is?"

"Love is blind, and all that type of shit. So are we done with the emo moping now? Because AFI hair and too much eyeliner is really not a good look for you. It's the last day of school and the first afternoon of summer vacation. We're supposed to be having fun, not whining about the 6'5" douche."

Kurt grumbled under his breath and then sighed, "I had a crush on him for most of the year… can't I mope just a little?"

"No! C'mon, what self respecting Fierce Diva Bitch spends this much time sulking about one guy?"

There was a small snort of laughter in response, "Are you questioning my Diva Bitch-ness?" he asked in a decent impression of Puck's usual attitude.

Puck laughed and shoved him lightly, "Now that you mention it? Yes. We need to bring back your lost Bitch-ness!" the jock stated sagely as though he was preparing to embark on a great quest. Sir Puckzilla and the Quest for the Lost Bitch-ness. "And being the Glee losers we both are," and how painful was _that_ statement for WMHS's resident badass, "we're going to do this the grand gay Glee way!"

"Gay, Noah?"

"Not gay as in _gay_, Princess. Gay as in cheerful. You know, like '_We'll have a gay old time_!'"

The countertenor looked at the other boy incredulously, "Did you just sing _The Flintstones_ theme at me?"

"Um, yeah?"

"You are _such_ a closet nerd," the brunette said with a laugh. "So, what's this 'grand gay Glee way' that's we're going to retrieve my supposedly lost Diva Bitch-ness?" he questioned complete with sarcastic jazz hands and air quotes.

"Through music, duh." Puck said with a smile and stood up, pulling Kurt with him. "Stay there," he says before running up the stairs and pounding on his sister's door. "Bekah!"

The door was pulled open, and Puck was faced with the twelve year old girl's version of his own "Puckerman Glare of Death" (and he _so_ had to get that shit copywrited). "What do you want, Boh?" She had her brown curls pulled up in a high ponytail that bounced as she moved her head, and her brother hoped that style didn't carry over to high school and have the red black and white pleated skirt of a Cheerio added to it. Bekah was too sporty for that right? A thought of Santana and how rough and tumble she could be at times flitted through his head. There was no way in _hell_ he wanted his baby sister to be a Cheerio. He shook his head to get back on track.

"I need you to give me a hand with something. My friend downstairs, Kurt, well, he's trying to get over a crush that's really messed him up. And music always makes him feel better, and I know some of your stuff might help."

Bekah turned and went back into her bedroom, leaving the door open. She picked up her iPod from the bed and moved to grab her travel docking station while she scrolled through the contents of the player. "So what kind of situation is Kurt dealing with?"

"He found out the person wasn't really who he thought they were. They said some pretty shitty things to him, and are still treating him like a leper or something."

"So who's the guy?" she asked, and Noah just looked shocked. "Oh please, it's so obvious that Kurt is gay, and you keep saying 'they' instead of 'she' when talking about the person. Plus, if it was a girl, you'd just say she was being a bitch," she informed him with a shrug.

"Language," Puck growled at her as he slung one arm around her shoulders. "You aren't too bad Smidget. You don't mind about him, right?"

"Nope. Ah, this is the perfect song. So who's the jerk who broke his heart?" she asked as they headed down the hall.

Puck sighed, "Finn."

"Finn as in Winney? What did he do? I thought he was too nice to be mean."

"You know, he and I could both cheerfully strangle you for continuing to call us by the same names you gave us when you were two."

"Aww, is big strong Noah scared of being called Boh-boh?"

Puck raised one eyebrow and glared at his sister, "How would you like it if I called you Cuddle-Lumpkin in front of your friends?"

Bekah let out an indignant shriek, "Don't you _dare_!"

"Then don't call me Boh-boh in front of _my_ friends. Now come on, before Kurt gets all weepy again," Puck said as he led his younger sister down the stairs and into the living room where he'd left Kurt to find him munching on some of the peanut butter M&M's. "Whoa Kurt! Put the empty calories down and step away from the zit inducing chocolate!" the muscular boy exclaimed in a dramatic manner. Kurt just rolled his eyes and popped another M&M in his mouth while Rebekah set up her docking station and iPod. Puck strode over to stand over the small countertenor with every ounce of intimidating badassness he had and stared down at him, fists on his hips and a scowl on his face. Kurt glared back with his own 'bitch, please' look. "3…" Kurt looked unimpressed with the threatening stance. "2…" Puck fought to keep the smirk off his face and continue scowling, though his lips kept twitching. "1…0!"

As he said zero, Puck pounced and Kurt yelped. The smaller boy threw the bag of M&M's up in the air as he scrambled to get away, trying to get his feet out from under himself and vault himself over the back of the couch. Needless to say, he failed. Noah tackled him, pushing him into the cushioned armrest of the couch and the proceeded to tickle the thin boy's sides. Kurt let out a high pitched shriek before laughter took over and he fought back, trying to push Puck's hands away from his sides and trying to get a little closer to the larger boy's sides to tickle him in retaliation. "Not gonna happen Princess. There's only one place I'm ticklish, and you'll never find it," Puck taunted as he grabbed both Kurt's wrists in one hand and skated his fingers across the boy's stomach with the other.

Amid Kurt's shrieking giggles and Puck's smug, cocky laughter, Bekah cleared her throat loudly, causing both boys to stop. It left Kurt pinned halfway under and his lightweight button down shirt hiked up under his armpits and his legs pinned at the knees by the jocks muscular thighs. The two boys turned their heads to look at the younger Puckerman, as she stood on the other side of the coffee table with her arms crossed. "We're supposed to cheer him up, you're not supposed to molest him like he's a cheerleader," she commented with a sarcasm that was way too old for her years.

The boys looked at each other, and they finally realized just what the position they were in resembled. Kurt's eyes widened until they resembled saucers and he used all his strength to try to get free, an effort that was apparently for naught since the larger boy didn't move an inch. "Noah… _MOVE_!" Kurt's screech seemed to force the jock into action as he jumped away from Kurt and off the couch while the countertenor sat up with a huff and fixed his shirt before moving his hands up to fix his hair as best he could without hairspray or a mirror. Puck could just barely hear him muttering about Neanderthals and immaturity and maybe something about cutting off his balls with a rusty spoon before stapling them to his forehead. Puck covered his crotch defensively and glared at his sister who was doubled over laughing her ass off at him.

"Okay, are you finished flirting with each other now?" The two boys stared at her, blue-green eyes widened in shock and hazel eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Hey Kurt, you interested in a little sister? I have one I'm willing to sell… No, wait, I'll pay you to take her," Puck grumbled.

"You know you'd miss her," the smaller boy commented as he smoothed the wrinkles from his shirt. "So," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest, "what piece of 'musical wonder' is going to aid in the recovery my _supposedly_ lost Diva Bitch-ness?"

Puck shrugged, "I left song choice up to her," he said, pointing at Bekah who smiled and pressed play on her iPod. When the intro started, Kurt laughed and Puck just rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised?" he muttered.

Kurt just got off the couch and shoved Noah into his vacated spot on the sofa before grabbing Bekah by the hand and spinning her prior to pulling her in to dance around the living room as he began to sing along with the song.

_State the obvious,  
I didn't get my perfect fantasy_

_I realized you love yourself  
More that you could ever love me  
_

Kurt tried not to laugh at that line. He realized after the blowup in the basement that he'd been in love with the fantasy of what he saw in Finn, and not the boy himself. And the boy was way too obsessed with doing whatever it took to be popular. And people thought Kurt was Narcissistic…

_So go and tell your friends  
That I'm obsessive and crazy,  
That's fine  
I'll tell mine  
__**You're gay**__,_

Noah chuckled meanly as he joined in on the 'gay' line. He might have been working on his friendship with the taller teen, but he was being a douche to Kurt, and Kurt was the one who _got_ him. He was the one who was willing to look beyond the asshole and try to help him. He took Puck's shit and threw it right back in his face with a raised eyebrow and sarcasm. He settled down into the center of the couch with his legs spread and his feet under the coffee table while he laid his arms across the back of the cushions, grinning while he watched his little sister and the unique guy who was starting to replace Finn as his best friend dance around the living room while singing at the tops of their lungs.

_And by the way,_

_I hate that stupid old pickup truck,  
You never let me drive  
You're a redneck, heartbreak  
Who's really been a lie  
So watch me strike a match  
On all my wasted time  
As far as I'm concerned,  
You're just another picture to burn._

Kurt supposed this would count as striking a match on all his wasted time. He looked at the boy who was sprawled on the couch as he two stepped the boy's younger sister around the living room and smiled widely. Noah was right, doing things the 'Gay Old Glee Way' really did help.

_There's no time for tears  
I'm just sitting here planning my revenge  
There's nothing stopping me  
From going out with all of your best friends_

Kurt couldn't resist teasing Noah about the 'best friends' line with a playful wink and hip shimmy as he spun Bekah in a complicated twist pattern. For his part, the jock just through his head back and laughed while wondering where the hell the fashionista had learned to do the two step so damned well.

_And if you come around saying' sorry to me  
My daddy's going to show you how sorry you'll be_

Noah shuddered slightly and chuckled at the thought of Kurt's 'daddy.' Mr. Hummel was absolutely terrifying. It really wasn't that he was _that_ big of a man, but he had manner about him that made him the single most intimidating person the muscular teen had ever met. Though the shotgun did add to that notion. It was amazing that the man had even let him in the house the first time he'd gone over to hang out with the countertenor. The other man had lightened up… a bit, but he still didn't want to be alone with his friend's father for very long. He valued his life too much for that.

_'Cause I hate that stupid old pickup truck,  
You never let me drive  
You're a redneck, heartbreak  
Who's really been a lie, yeah  
So watch me strike a match  
On all my wasted time  
As far as I'm concerned,  
You're just another picture to burn._

During the short musical interlude, Puck watched Kurt and Bekah twist and turn in some kind of weird pattern that had their arms tangled in all kinds of patterns and weaving around each others' backs or under an arm, their hands never parting until just before the lyrics started up again and Kurt swung Bekah out from him before pulling her back into a proper dance position.

_And if you're missing me  
You better keep it to yourself  
'Cause coming back around here  
Would be bad for your health_

_'Cause I hate that stupid old pickup truck,  
You never let me drive  
You're a redneck, heartbreak  
Who's really been a lie, yeah  
So watch me strike a match  
On all my wasted time  
In case you haven't heard, _

The formerly mohawked jock joined in on the singing for the final chorus which added to the other two's glee as they danced. Both of them knew that Noah liked country music, so he didn't feel the need to keep up his image for the two of them. They both saw through it anyway so he felt no shame at adding his own deeper harmonies to the higher voices in the room. This really was getting to be a habit with him and Kurt, but he could admit it was fun.

_**I really, really hate that stupid old pickup truck,  
You never let me drive  
You're a redneck, heartbreak  
Who's really been a lie, yeah  
So watch me strike a match  
On all my wasted time  
As far as I'm concerned,  
You're just another picture to burn.  
Burn, burn, burn, baby burn.  
Just another picture to burn  
Baby burn**_

Kurt dipped the younger Puckerman and spun her once more, causing her to flop on the couch beside Noah while he fell on the other side of the boy, laughing all the while. "You know, the only thing that would possibly make this better is actually having a couple of pictures of Finn to burn."

The siblings snorted in laughter and Bekah leaned forward to look around her brother, "I don't know about pictures for burning, but I'm positive that we have some of Winney you could use to blackmail him and make him, like your slave for, like, ever. You can make him, like, make your sandwiches and clean your room and stuff!" The boys looked at each other before turning and looking at her with incredulous expressions on their faces. "What?" she asked with a wide eyed innocent look that Puck was willing to swear he'd seen on Kurt's face before, and they'd known each other for all of about a hour.

"I thought I told you to quit trying to do that to Finn," Puck growled at the same time that Kurt exclaimed, "Blackmail pictures? _Winney_?"

Puck groaned and let his head fall back on the couch cushion, "See. _This_ is what I was talking about Lump. The Ice Queen here gets vicious when he needs to, and you just handed him a freaking bazooka worth of ammo!"

Bekah looked at her brother with big puppy dog eyes as he scolded her while Kurt crossed his arms over his chest and said petulantly, "I am _not_ an ice queen." Puck rolled his eyes. "Well, I'm not."

"Yeah you kinda can be, man. You can out bitch Santana on a bad day, and she's known to be the most vicious of the cheerleaders."

Kurt continued to pout until Noah started poking him in the side over and over again, moving all over the lithe boy's side until he found a ticklish spot to make the boy laugh. "You are such a pain," Kurt informed him with absolute certainty. "Now explain the pictures and the whole 'Winney' thing to me, please."

Puck sighed and gave Bekah one last glare, which had no effect on the girl. She simply grinned at him, clearly reveling in her brother's embarrassment. The jock just turned his attention back to the other boy sitting on his other side, "I told you that Finn and I have been friends since, like, forever, right?" Kurt nodded, "Well, he's been around for as long as Bekah can remember. When she first started learning to talk, she couldn't pronounce a lot of things right… I mean, what kid can, but she would say completely wrong consonants. My Great-Gran called it talking 'Dutchy.' F became W, N's were B's. Things like that. I used to call Finn Finny at times just to bug him and the Lump here, who was all of about 3 at the time, latched on to it, only instead of Finny, it was Winney. And it's stuck. She will still call me Boh or Boh-Boh at times because she couldn't say Noah."

Kurt nodded with a small smile curving his lips; it made sense, "I guess it's no different than my dad still calling me his little Sparkplug at times." Then his smile turned wicked, "So what about these pictures?"

"Nope! No way in hell do you get to see them. You'd never respect me again cuz I'm in them too."

Kurt snorted and saw Bekah mouth that she'd show him later, "Who said I respect you now, Puckerman?" he asked with a laugh.

It may have been childish, but the boy couldn't help but pout slightly. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Hummel. Why don't we do what you came over for to begin with and plan your Grand Glee Pool Party."

"Can I help?" the younger Puckerman asked as she pulled her legs up on the sofa to sit Indian style.

Puck shrugged while Kurt gave her a wide smile, "Of course. As long as you're better than your brother at knowing the importance of color coordination to the flow and feel of a party gathering as well as the ability to put together the perfect playlist to keep the mood of the gathering appropriate."

"Huh?"

Noah laughed at his sister's response and ruffled her ponytail, "He wants to know if you have more fashion sense and more music appreciation than me." He gave the Death Glare to Kurt who just looked at him with that damned sarcastic eyebrow and a level stare of his own, "I have my own sense of style appreciate music just fine."

"Please, your sense of style is nothing more than Wal-Mart Neanderthal Jock Thug Wannabe. Though I will grant you that there is occasionally some merit in your musical song choices."

"Boh, does he always talk like that?"

Puck chuckled, "Yeah. Don't worry Beks, the more you're around the little Diva Princess, the easier it gets to translate what he says into normal English. I think the only person who understands him all the time is maybe his dad, but I'm getting better at Kurt-ese."

Kurt sniffed indignantly, "It's not my fault if my method of communication is far too sophisticated for the plebian brains of the masses to comprehend."

Puck rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah Princess, you're smarter than the rest of us, now let's plan this gay old Glee thing already." The countertenor hit the larger boy in the arm before pulling out a notebook from his bag and the two teen boys and preteen girl put their heads together to plan the best "Thank God the School Year's Over, Now Let's Have Some Fun" party they could.

A/N: Holy Hell. Wow, this took waaay longer than I ever planned for it to, and it's ended up way longer than I'd planned for. This chapter was originally supposed to have the party in it too, but then it would have been even longer. I already have a good portion of the party planned out, so hopefully that chapter will follow this one much sooner than this one followed the previous one. As always, I appreciate reviews, and don't forget to let me know what pairings you'd be interested in seeing or if you'd like to see canon pairings. Thanks!

Hope


End file.
